Norway Royals Under Pressure as Major Trial Begins (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: The Epstein scandal also affecting the Norwegian royal family under the spotlight, under pressure like never before. This latest tranche of files that links the crown princess there in Norway, Mette Marit, to Geoffrey Epstein. And we also had this morning her son appearing in court in Oslo. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge of raping four women. Marius Borg-Hobie is accused of 38 criminal offences. This is Norway's biggest trial for years. He is not himself a royal, but the scandal has shaken the family that raised him. His arrest on Sunday was the fourth time he'd been detained by police since August 2024, when he was accused of assaulting a woman he'd been having a relationship with. He's denied the most serious charges against him, but admitted some of the more minor ones. Despite the pressure the Norwegian royal family are under, parliament there did vote overwhelmingly today in favour of maintaining the country's monarchy, rejecting a proposed change to a republic. I've been speaking to Hjalte Alstelham, who is the political editor of Aftenposten, Norway's largest newspaper. And I asked him how the public are viewing the trial.

[00:01:06] Speaker 2: Well, this is a really difficult time for the Norwegian royal family. Of course, the interest is very high for the trial starting today, but also the revelations that came this weekend about the links between the crown princess and Geoffrey Epstein. We've had two polls coming out yesterday and today about, with the question, can Mette Marit become queen one day? And nearly half of the population say no at this time. That's a blow for the monarchy.

[00:01:39] Speaker 1: And none of the royal family intend to appear in court. Have they said anything publicly about the trial?

[00:01:47] Speaker 2: They have said that this is up to the court to decide. And if they had been at court, that would be criticised, I would say, because that would be a way of influencing the court from the position they have. So I don't think they had any other choice than to stay away.

[00:02:04] Speaker 1: How are the royal family in general viewed in Norway? It's slightly more relaxed, the situation with some of the Scandinavian royals, than it is here in the UK. But are they held up as role models? Are they revered?

[00:02:17] Speaker 2: Absolutely. Especially the king and queen, they will be 90 next year and they are very much respected. And then you have the question of their daughter, Princess Mette Louise, who married the self-proclaimed shaman Durek Werit one and a half years ago, where there are conflicts about how they use their royal connection with their other projects. Then you have the trial against Mette Morit's son. And at the same time, the crown princess Mette Morit has this lung disease, which is quite serious. So the capacity of the royal family is not very high at the moment.

[00:03:06] Speaker 1: How long is the trial expected to take?

[00:03:09] Speaker 2: It's expected to take seven weeks. So it will be the big story in Norway for the next week.

[00:03:15] Speaker 1: You've been saying this is the biggest trial in Norway for many years. Is that the case?

[00:03:20] Speaker 2: Absolutely. And also in interest from international media, of course.

[00:03:28] Speaker 1: And we will be following that trial throughout here on BBC News.